Chapter 97 The Same Boat
Dr. Harrison’s eyes lingered on the tablet screen.
Xavier Lala’s photo stared back at them. Round glasses. Calm expression. Dark hair neatly parted.
Dr. Harrison’s gaze shifted to Veyra. She was still looking at the photo. Her finger rested on the edge of the table and he studied her face. The set of her jaw. The steadiness in her eyes.
"You’ve already decided," he said.
She looked up. "What?"
"You’re looking at him like he’s already your partner."
Veyra did not deny it.
Dr. Harrison set down his water glass. The condensation left a ring on the white tablecloth.
"You understand what you’re getting into," he said. "The Zed family won’t forgive. They’ll block every move you make. Every contract. Every approval. Every expansion."
Veyra said nothing.
"I’m not trying to change your mind," Dr. Harrison continued. "I’m making sure you understand the cost."
She nodded slowly. "I understand."
"And you still want to proceed?"
"I still want to proceed."
Dr. Harrison shook his head. "You’re so stubborn."
"I’ve been told."
Veyra looked at the photo again.
"Mere boldness isn’t enough," she said quietly.
Dr. Harrison tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Boldness gets you into a fight. It doesn’t win it." She paused. "I need to know if he has more than that."
"You want to test him."
"I want to see how he thinks. How he handles pressure. How he responds when things don’t go his way."
Dr. Harrison was curious. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Veyra set the tablet down. She leaned back in her chair.
"He’s in the restaurant tonight," she said. "I saw him downstairs."
"You want to meet him now?"
"Immediately."
Dr. Harrison’s eyebrows rose. "What kind of test?"
She smiled and a small, mysterious smile.
"You’ll see."
Dr. Harrison studied her face. He had worked with many people over the years. Some were brilliant. Some were stubborn. Some were both.
Veyra was all three.
He reached for his phone. "I’ll have my assistant contact him. And the other four candidates."
Veyra blinked. "The other four?"
"The rejection notices. They need to know they weren’t chosen."
She nodded slowly. "Yes. They do."
Dr. Harrison typed a message. His thumb moved quickly across the screen.
"I’ll tell them the decision has been made. That the partnership has been awarded."
He paused.
"You’re sure about this?"
Veyra looked at Xavier’s photo again. The round glasses. The calm expression. The eyes that had not looked away when Caspian threatened him.
"I’m sure," she said and Dr. Harrison pressed send.
Veyra set the tablet down. She looked out the window. The city lights blurred.
And her thoughts went to the Zed family. The weight of their influence and the cost of standing against them. Right or wrong, she thought, we’re in the same boat now. She did not know if she had made the right choice but she had made a choice.
*
*
Downstairs, Caspian stood at the entrance of the restaurant.
He had been smoking for ten minutes. His cigarette was down to the filter. He did not notice.
His face was hard. His jaw was tight. The cool night air did nothing to calm him. His phone rang.
He pulled it out. The screen said Assistant Dan. He answered, his voice was eager and eferential.
"Assistant Dan. Good evening."
The voice on the other end was professional. Neutral.
"Mr. Thorne. I’m calling to inform you of the decision regarding the SN1818 partnership."
Caspian’s grip tightened on the phone.
"Yes?"
"After careful consideration, the partnership has been awarded to another candidate."
Caspian’s face went rigid.
The words did not make sense. They could not make sense.
"I don’t understand," he said. "Dr. Harrison said he would put in a good word for me. Professor Sterling recommended me. I was—"
"I understand your frustration, Mr. Thorne. But the decision is final."
Caspian’s voice rose. "Who? Who was chosen?"
A pause.
"President Xavier Lala. From Solstice Pharmaceuticals."
Caspian’s hand trembled.
Xavier Lala.
The man from the restaurant. The one who had stepped in. The one who had sided with Veyra and his face darkened. Cold fury settled into his bones.
"Xavier Lala," he repeated. His voice was flat. Empty.
"Yes, Mr. Thorne. The partnership is with Solstice Pharmaceuticals."
Caspian’s fist clenched around the phone.
"Why?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Thorne. I don’t have any further details."
The line went dead.
Caspian stared at the phone.
Why?
He had done everything right. He had the connections. The resources. The track record. Professor Sterling had recommended him. Dr. Harrison had promised to put in a good word.
And still, he had lost and to Xavier Lala of all people.
His hand tightened around the phone and then his arm moved. The phone flew out of his hand. It hit the marble floor and shattered and the sound cracked through the entrance.
A nearby couple jumped. They looked at him, then quickly looked away.
Caspian’s chest heaved. His breath came in short, ragged bursts.
A security guard appeared. "Sir, is there a problem?"
Caspian did not answer.
He stood there, staring at the shattered phone.
The guard repeated himself. "Sir—"
Caspian walked away.
His footsteps echoed off the marble. The front desk receptionist watched him go, her hand already reaching for the phone.
*
*
The elevator doors slid open.
Xiomara stepped out. Her heels clicked on the marble floor. Her dress was black and form-fitting. Her expression was composed.
She walked toward the front desk.
She spotted Caspian near the entrance. He was standing alone, his back to her. His shoulders were hunched.
She called out to him. "Caspian."
He turned.
His face was grim. Icy. The cold fury in his eyes had not faded. If anything, it had deepened.
Xiomara’s heart fluttered. Her excitement dimmed.
She had expected victory. She had expected Caspian to be triumphant.
Instead, he looked defeated.
She walked toward him. Her heels clicked faster.
"What happened?" she asked. Her voice was soft.
Caspian did not meet her eyes.
"Grace chose someone else."
Xiomara’s stomach dropped.
"Who?"
"Xavier Lala."
The name hit her like ice water.
"Xavier Lala," she repeated. "The one from Solstice Pharmaceuticals?"
"Yes."
Xiomara’s mind raced. She had seen Xavier’s profile. She knew his track record. She had dismissed him as a threat.
"I thought Dr. Harrison was going to help you," she said. "Professor Sterling said—"
"Professor Sterling said he would put in a word." Caspian’s voice was flat. "He did and guess what it wasn’t enough."
Xiomara’s lips pressed into a thin line.
This was not supposed to happen. She had planned everything. The connections. The recommendations. The leverage.
And now it was gone.
She looked at Caspian. His face was pale. His hands were shaking.
"Who was the shortlist?" she asked. "Who else was in the running?"
He shrugged. "Xavier Lala. A few others. It doesn’t matter."
"It matters."
Caspian said nothing.
Xiomara’s mind churned.
She thought about the shortlist. There had been five names. She had memorized them.
Caspian. Xavier Lala. Marcus Webb. Serena Finch. Another one.
She knew Xavier was aggressive. She knew he had connections. She knew the Zed family had been blocking his company for years.
And still, Grace had chosen him.
Xiomara felt her hopes crumble.
"There must be something," she said. "Something we can do."
"It’s over."
"It’s not over." Her voice was sharp. "Professor Sterling has influence. He can make calls. He can—"
"He already made calls." Caspian’s voice cracked. "It wasn’t enough."
Xiomara was silent for a moment.
Then she remembered Professor Sterling’s words. His advice. The way he had spoken about Grace.
"He said there was still a chance," she murmured.
Caspian looked at her. "What?"
"Professor Sterling. He said we shouldn’t give up. He said Grace might change her mind."
Caspian’s eyes flickered. A spark of hope but then it faded.
"She won’t change her mind. She already chose."
"You don’t know that."
Xiomara stepped closer. Her voice was low. Urgent.
"We have connections. We have leverage. We have Professor Sterling."
Caspian shook his head. "It’s over."
"It’s not over." She grabbed his arm. Her fingers pressed into his sleeve. "Dr. Harrison hasn’t left yet. He’s still upstairs."
Caspian blinked. "So?"
"So we can talk to him. Directly. We can make a new offer. Something he can’t refuse."
Caspian stared at her.
His eyes were hollow. His face was pale.
But something flickered behind his gaze, reluctance and desperation.
Xiomara’s voice dropped to a whisper.
"Do you have a solution?"
She looked at him. Waiting and the silence stretched.